One of my favorite devotional books is Streams in the Desert. Originally copyrighted in 1925, it is more powerful today than ever before. The January 10th devotion is especially meaningful as we embark on a new year. Focusing on the multiple times the apostle Paul was divinely prohibited from taking one course or another in … [Read more…]

One of the greatest lessons I learned after my husband and I experienced great loss, right at the beginning of the 2008 holiday season, is that grief and joy can coexist. I don’t understand it. I certainly can’t explain it. I only know it’s true. Perhaps one of the most important things we can do … [Read more…]

“We are TRYING all the time; we are worrying our way through; we are panicky. What shall we do next? What is the next step in life? We are concerned about our mind. God is concerned about our spirit – the humble, the Contrite, and the brokenhearted – that man God will always guide.” – … [Read more…]

“The circumstances and events that we see as setbacks are oftentimes the very things that launch us into periods of intense spiritual growth. Once we begin to understand this, and accept it as a spiritual fact of life, adversity becomes easier to bear.” – Charles Stanley

Psalm 56:1-8 NLT O God, have mercy on me, for people are hounding me. My foes attack me all day long. I am constantly hounded by those who slander me, and many are boldly attacking me. But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. I praise God for what he has … [Read more…]

“There is nothing, no circumstance, no trouble, no testing that can ever touch me until, first of all, it has come past God and past Christ, right through to me. If it has come that far, it has come with a great purpose.” –Alan Redpath

Six months after 9/11, I found myself volunteering at Ground Zero. I’d gone with a group from church and, for reasons that escape me, I signed up to work the 11 pm to 7 am shift in the enormous “tent” where the recovery workers came to eat and nap. There were five of us doing … [Read more…]

“God is going to test me with delays; and with the delays will come suffering, but through it all stands God’s pledge: His new covenant with me in Christ, and His inviolable promise of every lesser blessing that I need. The delay and the suffering are part of the promised blessing; let me praise Him … [Read more…]

One of my favorite Bible verses is Proverbs 3:5-6. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. You’d think that since this is one of my favorites, I wouldn’t spend a whole lot of time … [Read more…]

Sometimes, words just won’t come. The grief is too great. The loss too devastating. Exhaustion consumes you but overwhelming need compels you forward. People demand your attention. Friends, family, doctors, strangers, insurance agents—they all want a piece of you. Situations appear hopeless. There are no words to describe the devastation that has become your life. … [Read more…]